Carbon fiber is a material consisting of extremely thin fibers (e.g., ranging from about 1 nm to about 100 μm in effective diameter) of carbon atoms bound together so that the carbon atom layers are predominantly aligned parallel to the length of the fiber. Each carbon fiber tends to be strong. Parts formed from carbon fibers or containing carbon fibers often weigh less than parts that contain other materials instead of carbon fibers.
In some cases, composite materials may be formed from the combination of a matrix resin and carbon fibers. These composites are often referred to as carbon fiber-reinforced composites, and may be used in a variety of applications including aerospace applications, civil engineering applications, military applications, motor sports, and recreational/competitive sports, to name a few.